Bearing.



No. 862,216. PATENTED AUG. 6, 1907.

R. P. THOMPSON.

BEARING.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 5. 1906;-

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UNITED STATES "PATENT OFFICE.

RALPH P. THOMPSON, OF SPRINGFIELD, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE ROBBINS ANDMYERS COMPANY, OF SPRINGFIELD, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

BEARING.

Patented Aug. 6, 1907.

Application filed March 5, 1906. Serial No. 804,154.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RALPH P. THOMPSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Springfield, in the county of Clark and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Bearings, of which thefollowing is a specification, reference being had therein to theaccompanying drawings.

This invention relates to bearings, and more particu larly toself-alining bearings for shafts rotating at a relatively high speed,being designed more particularly for. use in connection with thearmature shafts of electric motors employed for driving fans and thelike, although obviously capable of use in other connection.

The main object of the invention is to provide a simple and inexpensivebearing, which may be readily assembled and taken apart, and which,while self-alining, may be readily adjusted.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple an d eflicientmeans for adjusting the bearing to compensate for any wear which mayoccur.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a simple and efficientmeans for positively preventing rotation of the bushing within thebearing sleeve.

To these and other ends my invention consists in certain novel featureswhich I will now proceed to describe, and will then particularly pointout in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a plan view of a bearingembodying my invention in one form; Fig. 2 is an end elevation of thesame; Fig. 3 is a plan section, taken on the line a .t of Fig. 2 andlooking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 4 is a vertical sectionalview, taken on the line y y of Fig. 2 and looking in the direction ofthe arrows; Fig. 5 is a detail'plan view 'of the bushing, detached; andFig. 6 is a transverse sectional view of the same, taken on the line 2 zof Fig. 5

and looking in the direction of the arrows.

In the said drawings, 1 represents the revolving shaft, and 2 a portionof the supporting frame, the same being provided with a bearing sleeve3. This bearing sleeve, instead of being divided transversely, as isusual in bearings of this class, is integral, or formed in a singlepiece, thereby rendering the structure simple and inexpensive. Withinthe interior of the sleeve 3 there is provided an annular contactshoulder or abutment 4, the same being preferably formed integrally withthe bod-y of said bearing sleeve at the offset located at the junctionof the portion 5 of the aperture formed through said sleeve which is ofrelatively large diameter and the portion 6 of said aperture which is ofrelatively small di ameter.

Within the bearing sleeve 3 there is located a bushing 7, constructedpreferably of Babbitt metalor some other similar bearing material. Thisbushing has a central aperture 8 formed therethrough longitudinally toredrawings.

- repair the bearing.

ceive the shaft 1, and is provided at its central portion with asubstantially spherical portion or enlargement 9, by means of which saidbushing is rendered selfalining. Preferably, the spherical portion 9 ofthe bushing is grooved or cut away, as indicated at 10, for the purposeof saving metal and lightening the bushing.

The maximum diameter of the bushing 7 is less than the diameter of thelarger portion 5 of the aperture of ihe bearing sleeve, so that saidbushing may be readily slipped into said bearing sleeve from the outerend thereof until its spherical portion 9 comes into contact with theshoulder or abutment 4 within the sleeve. 11 indicates an abutment ring,fitted to slide within the larger portion 5 of the bore of the bearingsleeve 8, and provided at its inner end with an annular contact orabutment surface 12, arranged to bear against the spherical portion 9 ofthe bushing on the side thereof opposite to that on which the abutmentsurface 4 is located.

This abutment ring may be introduced into the outer end of the bearingsleeve 3 after the bushing 7 has been inserted therein, and it will beseen that, while the position of the bushing will be determined by theposition of the shaft 1, on which it fits, the contact or abutmentsurfaces 4 and 9 of the bearing sleeve and ring will properly supportthe bushing within the bearing sleeve whether or not the axis of theshaft is coincident with the axis of said bearing sleeve, owing to thefact that said abutment surfaces bear upon the spherical central portion9 of the bushing.

The abutment ring 11 is held in place by means of screws 13, thethreaded body portions of which enter threaded apertures 14 formed inthe bearing sleeve 3 longitudinally thereof, while the heads of saidscrews overlap and bear upon the outer end of the abutment ring, asshown more particularly in Figs. 1 and 3 of the By means of thesescrews, the abutment ring may be readily moved longitudinally of thebearing sleeve into proper position to hold the bushing in placetherein, andjhe removal of said screws, which is readily effected,permits the withdrawal of the abutment ring and bushing when it isdesired to inspect or I t will be understood that the abutment ring ispressed against the bushing with a force sufficient not only to maintainthe alinement of the bushing with the shaft, but also to hold saidbushing in fixed and substantially rigid relation to the bearing sleeve,so that it can neither rotate therein nor be come accidentally displacedrelatively thereto. Furthermore, .the abutment ring slideslongitudinally in the sleeve without rotating during this adjustment, sothat, after it comes into contact with the bushing, it presses directlyagainst the same without rotating rel atively thereto, thereby avoidingany rubbing contact which might mar the contact surfaces or tend torotate the bushing in the sleeve, which rotation might Inar the parts orspoil the alineinent.

In its preferred form, my invention also contemplates the adjustment ofthe bushing to compensate for wear which may occur between said bushingand the shaft rotating therein. To effect this, the bushing is splitlongitudinally from the exterior to the bore thereof, as indicated at15. This split or slot-is preferably formed through the upper side ofthe bushing, although it may be located elsewhere. It will be seen that,owing to the spherical form of the central portion 9 against which theabutment surfaces 4 and 12 of the bearing sleeve and abutment ring bear,inward pressure is exerted upon the bushing when the abutment ring isforced against the same through the medium of the adjusting screws 13,and this pressure will act to decrease the diameter of the bushing asthe slot 15 closes, thereby tightening the bushing upon the shaft. W henthis split form of bushing is employed, the adjusting screws 13 form asimple and readily manipulated means for taking up any wear which mayoccur between the bushing and shaft. Although under ordinary conditionsthe bushing is so firmly held between the abutnient surfaces 4 and 12 asto prevent said bushing from rotating along with the shaft 1 relativelyto the bearing sleeve 3, it is desirable to provide means for positivelypreventing such rotation. I employ for this purpose a lubricating cup16, which extends down loosely through an aperture 17 in the bearingsleeve 3 and has its lower end threaded into a recess or sleeve 18, withwhich the bushing 7 is provided to receive said lubricator. It will beseen that the lubricant is thus directly supplied to the bearingsurfaces between the shaft and bushing, while the body of thelubricator, by its contact with the wall of the aperture 17 in thebearing sleeve 3, will positively prevent any rotation of the bushingwithin the bearing sleeve. At the same time, the lubricating cup may bereadily unscrewed from its engagement with the bushing and withdrawnwhen it is desired to remove the bushing from the bearing sleeve, and asreadily rengaged therewith when the parts are again assembled. Since theaperture 17 is of greater diameter than the portion of the lubricatingcup which passes through it, this latter does not in any way interferewith the self-alinement or adjustment of the bushing within the sleeve.

In my preferred form of construction, which is that shown, thelubricating cup plays an important part in the adjustment of the bushingas to its bearing contact with the shaft. There is always danger thatthe bushing may be so adjusted. as to fit too tightly on the shaft, and,to remedy this, the lower threaded portion of the cup, and the sleeve 18which receives the same,

are made tapering or conical. In assembling the parts, before the cup isscrewed into place, the abutment ring is forced inward with considerablepressure, so as to cause the bushing to fit somewhat tightly on theshaft, more so, in fact, than is required under Working conditions. Thecup is then screwed in as far as it will go, whereupon the abutment ringis relieved or backed out somewhat, to release the bushing. The cup isthen screwed further inward a trifle, just sufficiently to enlarge thebushing to such an extent as will prevent it from binding on the shaft,whereupon the abutment ring is again forced inward so as to firmly gripand hold the bushing, while the cup prevents the pressure of said ringfrom further contracting the bushing and causing it to bind on theshaft. The determining of the ultimate diameter of the bushing by therotation of the cup gives a minute and accurate adjust ment, analogousin character to a micrometer adjustment, and permits the bushing to bereadily and nicely adjusted as to its bearing contact on the shaft.

I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to theexact details of construction shown and described, for obviousmodifications will ,occur to a person skilled in the art.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by LettersPateut,

1. In a bearing, the combination, with a rotatory shaft, of a bearingsleeve having an internal abutment shoulder, a bushing fitting saidshaft and having a spherical portion bearing on one side against saidabutment shoulder, said bushing being provided with a tapering aperturein said spherical portion and being split longitudinally along one sidefrom said aperture towards its ends, a tapering part screwinginto saidaperture, and an abutment ring ad justable longitudinally with respectto the bearing sleeve towards its abutment shoulder, said ring beingprovided with an abutment shoulder to bear upon the opposite side of thespherical portion of the bushing, substantially as described.

In a bearing, the combination, with a rotatory shaft, of a bearingsleeve having an internal abutment shoulder, a bushing fitting saidshaft and having a spherical portion bearing on one side against saidabutment shoulder, said bushing being provided with a tapering aperturein said spherical portion and being split longitudinally along one sidefrom said aperture towards its ends, a lubricating cup having a taperingextremity screwing into said aperture, and an abutment ring adjustablelongitudinally with respect to the bearing sleeve towards its abutmentshoulder, said ring being provided with an abutment shoulder to bearupon the opposite side of the spherical portion of the bushing,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

RALPH P. THOMPSON.

Witnesses E. O. IIAGAN, IIWINE MILLER.

